Search Goes On For Man Reportedly Swept Away

Police and Pennsylvania Water Rescue teams searched again yesterday for the body of a man reportedly swept into a drainage ditch along South 25th Street in Palmer Township during Saturday night's thunderstorm, which dumped up to 4 inches of rain on some parts of the Lehigh Valley.

Palmer and Wilson police began searching the ditch after receiving reports from people who said they saw the man swept into the ditch. South 25th Street is the border between the municipalities. Police said they have had no reports of missing persons.

The Pennsylvania Water Rescue unit searched the Lehigh River but foundnothing, according to Palmer police. The ditch drains into the river.

A Wilson police spokesman said the ditch is full of grates and debris and it is unlikely that a body would pass through it without getting hung up.

According to the National Weather Service at the Allentown-Bethlehem- Easton Airport, the amount of rainfall received varied greatly from place to place. At the airport, 1.18 inches was measured, while Dorneyville and Easton received 4 inches.

An Allentown woman and her grandson were rescued Saturday night after their car stalled in 4 feet of water under the railroad bridge on South 8th Street.

Patrolmen Alan Burns and Robert Lembach used a rope to wade to the car and rescue Helen Forro of 1427 Salisbury Road and her grandson, whose name was not available from police. The storm brought road hazards in Easton also, as felled trees closed part of Lafayette Street for about five hours.

Police said the road was shut down around midnight Saturday after lightning struck a tree near George Street. Crews were picking up the debris, cutting up and removing the tree until about 5:15 a.m. yesterday. Elsewhere on Lafayette, from Colman Street west, the road was closed while Metropolitan Edison Co. crews repaired damaged power lines.

Water also collected in the basements of many homes, with Allentown receiving the most damage. The homes hit hardest were on Sumner Avenue, in the 200 block of North Howard Street, the 300 block of North Jordan Street and in the area of 11th and Spring Garden streets.

"Everything's a mess," said Helen Schraden of 232 N. Howard St. "During the first storm, we had 3 feet of water in the basement, and after the second storm, the water reached the first floor. My oil burner and gas water heater aren't working, and we lost just about everything."

Schraden blamed the flooding on a lack of storm sewers in the area.

The superintendent of the Allentown Streets Department, however, said more storm sewers wouldn't have made much difference Saturday.

"When you get an influx of water like we had Saturday, the sewers can only take so much before they can't hold any more," said Superintendent Louis Guerino. "I feel bad for the people who were flooded, but there's not a lot you can do when a storm comes that quick."

This is not the first time North Howard residents have had flooding problems. On Aug. 8, 1982, another heavy storm caused flooding in many houses on the street which runs north-south between 10th and 11th streets.

"The city should step in and do something," said Edward Abel of 218 N. Howard St. "I've been here 10 years, and I've gone through this twice now, and I'm not about to go through it again."